Natasha’s Recall: Kogi SDP Expresses Distrust in INEC

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Kogi State has voiced strong dissatisfaction and a lack of trust in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), pointing to issues from the 2023 governorship election and recent events surrounding the recall attempt of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

In a statement issued Friday by the Kogi State SDP Press Secretary, Isaiah Davies Ijele, the party criticized INEC’s handling of previous elections. Ijele noted that despite INEC’s pledge to investigate and prosecute electoral offenders and cancel results from several local government areas—namely Okene, Okehi, Adavi, Ajaokuta, and Ogorimagongo—the commission still went ahead to announce results without properly verifying the number of accredited voters. This, he said, casts doubt on INEC’s dedication to fair electoral processes.

The SDP also pointed to contradictions in INEC’s handling of the petition to recall Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan. The commission initially stated that the petition failed to meet the required criteria, only to later change its position—an action the party says erodes public confidence and raises concerns of potential manipulation.

“We urge all advocates of democracy to keep a close watch on events in Kogi,” the party said. They also questioned how INEC could verify 208,132 signatures—almost twice the total number of voters in the relevant election.

The party emphasized that it is alarmed by what it sees as INEC’s continued incompetence and warned that it will not remain silent while the commission repeats its alleged past mistakes at the expense of Kogi citizens.